The beach, the weather and the rivers as “things we like” dominated the word cloud presented to a cross-section of city residents at the first JAX2025 “visioneering” event last month at the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
And, residents from Ortega/Murray Hill/ Riverside/Avondale and San Marco/San Jose/St. Nicholas
dominated the surveys completed, with nearly 22 percent of the top 50 ZIP Code responses from those neighborhoods.

“Survey says” – and there were over 14,000 of them from every neighborhood (183 ZIP Codes) in the region – that 67 percent of the area residents are satisfied with the quality of life in Jacksonville today.

In particular, you like the quality and availability of health services, the quality, cost and availability of parks and open spaces, the strength and stability of your neighborhood, feelings of safety in your home or neighborhood, the cost and availability of housing to own or rent, and the opportunities to enjoy arts and cultural activities and events.
Our natural environment – beach, rivers, parks and open spaces – were at the top of the list of what should be preserved.
When it comes to what is concerning to the region’s residents, 40-63% were dissatisfied with the vibrancy of Downtown, the quality of public education, the ease of getting around on public transportation, the ability to influence local government and the opportunities to find good paying jobs. Therefore, Downtown Jacksonville, education and transportation topped the list of areas that need to be improved.

There’s no doubt that readers of The Resident News are among the city’s most active and supportive when it comes to Jacksonville at large and Downtown. The proximity of these historic districts on both sides of the St. Johns River provide quick and easy access for both planned events and spur-of-the-moment dining and shopping downtown.
“It was surprising to see that Downtown was such a big priority for other neighborhoods,” said District 14 Councilman Jim Love at the JAX2025 Community Launch Meeting on Jan. 19. “It’s obviously important to everyone and needs to have some action going all the time.”
Love felt that putting an emphasis on sports is the right strategy to bring people downtown, but he also continues to support his district.

“With a home in Avondale and an office in Riverside, I have a vested interest and have invested in these neighborhoods for a long, long time,” said Love.
Four more two-hour monthly planning events are planned, all at the Prime Osborn, for Feb. 2, Mar. 19, Apr. 27 and May 18. Visit www.jax2025.org for details or to register to attend an event.